Bergenia plant named ‘Peppermint Patty’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Heartleaf  Bergenia  plant,  Bergenia  plant named ‘Peppermint Patty’ with a dense mounded habit, medium to large-sized, densely-arranged, deep-green, glossy, obovate, evergreen foliage with serrate to dentate and ciliolate margins. The flowers are campanulate on large heavily-branched panicles over a long period beginning in spring. The flowers open white and develop pink centers and margins and hold up well in the garden as a landscape plant or as cut flowers. The new plant has a medium growth rate and the foliage is naturally resistant to deer and rabbit foraging.

Botanical designation: Bergenia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Peppermint Patty’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES UNDER 37 CFR 1.77(b)(6)

The first non-enabling disclosure of the claimed plant was Dec. 1, 2022,when the claimed plant was displayed as a photograph with a non-enablingbrief description on a website maintained by Walters Gardens, Inc. Thefirst plants of Bergenia ‘Peppermint Patty’ offered for sale were byWalters Gardens, Inc. on Jul. 12, 2022. Walters Gardens, Inc. obtainedthe new plant and all information about the new plant directly from theinventor. No other plants have been sold earlier than this date anywherein the world, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made morethan one year prior the filing date of this application, and suchdisclosure within one year was either derived directly or indirectlyfrom the inventor.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLANT

The present invention relates to the new and distinct Heartleaf Bergeniaherein also referred to as Bergenia ‘Peppermint Patty’, by the cultivarname, ‘Peppermint Patty’, or as the new plant. The new plant washybridized by the inventor on Mar. 14, 2014, from a cross-pollinationplant of Bergenia ‘Sakura’ (not patented) as the female or seed parentand the proprietary unreleased unnamed hybrid known only as 12-1-6 (notpatented) as the male or pollen parent. The cross was performed in agreenhouse of a wholesale perennial grower in Zeeland, Michigan. Thesingle seedling represented by ‘Peppermint Patty’ was selected from agroup of seedlings by the inventor, isolated, compared in subsequentyears to other Bergenia and subsequently found to be different from allcultivars known to the discoverer, and given the breeder code 14-13-111through the remaining evaluation process.

Asexual propagation at the same nursery in Zeeland, MI, USA initially bybasal cuttings and later by shoot tip sterile tissue culture has shown‘Peppermint Patty’ to be stable and reproduce true to type in successivegenerations since late summer of 2016.

SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Bergenia ‘Peppermint Patty’ has not been observed in all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary slightly with changesin environments such as light intensity, fertility, water availability,etc. without any variations in genotype.

Bergenia ‘Peppermint Patty’ is distinct from all cultivars known to theinventor in the following traits:

-   -   1. Dense mounded habit;    -   2. Medium to large-sized, densely-arranged, deep-green, glossy,        obovate, evergreen foliage with ciliolate margins;    -   3. Heavily-branched, large panicles of large campanulate flowers        over a long period in spring;    -   4. Flowers open white and develop pink centers and margins;    -   5. Medium growth rate;    -   6. Foliage is naturally resistant to deer and rabbits.

Plants of Bergenia ‘Peppermint Patty’ are most similar to: ‘AppleBlossom’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,101, ‘Flirt’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,355,‘Miss Piggy’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 32,132, ‘Fairytale Romance’ U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 17/803,929, and ‘Spring Fling’ U.S. PlantPat. 26,337.

‘Apple Blossom’ has a slightly smaller habit with flowers that are alight pink, and the leaf margins that are not ciliolate. ‘Miss Piggy’has a slightly smaller habit and deeper pink flowers, and the foliagedoes not have ciliolate margins. ‘Fairytale Romance’ has a smallerhabit, the flowers are smaller and more solid light-pink, and thefoliage is smaller without ciliolate margins. ‘Spring Fling’ has ashorter habit and denser panicles of deeper pink flowers.

The female parent, ‘Sakura’, has a smaller habit with shorter, smallerpeduncles, deeper pink flowers, and foliage that is smaller and withoutciliolate margins. The male parent has smaller white flowers at leastone week earlier, and the foliage is more deciduous with a moreciliolate margin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color drawings illustrate the overall characteristics of Bergenia‘Peppermint Patty’ as a three-year-old plant. The colors are as true asreasonably possible given the technology available. The color values mayvary slightly depending on light intensity and quality.

FIG. 1 shows the new plant in a full-sun landscape environment.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the young and mature flowers of the new plantin a partially-shaded greenhouse.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description is based on two-year-old plants growing in apartially-shaded greenhouse and in an outdoor full-sun display garden inZeeland, MI, USA. Except for ordinary dictionary color usage, colorreferences are according to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2015 edition. The new plant has not been observed in all possiblegrowing conditions and may vary in phenotypic characteristics based onwater availability, light conditions, fertilizer, temperatures, etc.without varying in genotypic characteristics.

-   Parentage: Female or seed parent ‘Sakura’; male or pollen parent    12-1-6;-   Asexual propagation: Division of tissue culture plants, about 21    days to initiate roots; time to finish 25 mm plugs in a one-gallon    container about 3 months; moderate growth rate;-   Plant habit: Low, spreading, herbaceous, evergreen, winter-hardy,    perennial mound; with heavily branched flower stems; with about 6 to    8 shoots per plant; shoots to about 10 cm long and about 3.5 cm    diameter;-   Plant size: Foliage about 69 to 78 cm wide and about 38 cm tall;    flowering to about 75 cm wide and about 54 cm tall;-   Leaves: Alternate; simple; coriaceous; obovate; adaxial and abaxial    surface lustrous; rounded apex; cuneate base; margin ciliolate and    irregularly dentate to crenate; to 33 cm long and 27.5 cm wide,    average about 27 cm long and about 22 cm wide;-   Leaf color: Young expanding leaves adaxial nearest blend of RHS 137B    and RHS 146A and abaxial nearest RHS 146C; mature leaves adaxial    between RHS NN137Aand RHS 139A, mature abaxial between RHS 146A and    RHS 139A; winter color developing variable, moderate to strong blush    to solid nearest RHS 187A adaxial and nearest RHS 187B abaxial;-   Veins: Pinnate;-   Vein color: Young adaxial between RHS 137B and RHS 146A, abaxial    between RHS 146D and RHS N144D; adaxial nearest RHS 137A, abaxial    basally nearest blend between RHS 146D and RHS 145A;-   Inflorescence: Panicle; about 6 to 8 per plant; to about 54 cm long    and 2 cm diameter at base, flowering portion to about 25 cm tall and    22 cm wide; cylindrical; lustrous; glabrous;-   Peduncle color: Variable, proximal portion nearest blend of RHS 145C    and RHS 146D, distally nearest RHS 146D with minor to blushing to    nearly solid of nearest RHS 178B;-   Flower: Single; perfect; campanulate; on terminal branches; about 28    mm across, about 20 mm long; attitude outright to slightly drooping;-   Flower fragrance: None detected;-   Calyx: Campanulate; to about 13 mm wide and 10 mm long, forming    hypanthium 3 mm long and 7 mm diameter;-   Sepals: Typically, five, rarely six; ovate; broadly acute apex;    truncate base fused in basal 6 mm; margin entire; glabrous and    lustrous adaxial, lustrous and sparsely glandular abaxial; about 13    mm long and about 6 mm wide;-   Sepal color: Variable; adaxial nearest RHS 146C with strong to    moderate blush of nearest RHS 179B; abaxial nearest RHS 146C in the    longitudinal center, with margins of nearest RHS 179B, and base    nearest RHS 180D;-   Flowering period: Beginning early spring, for about 4 weeks;    producing up to 27 flowers per branch and up to 170 flowers per    panicle;-   Individual flower longevity: 7 to 10 days;-   Flower buds one day prior to opening: Oblong, acute apex, about 15    mm long and 7 mm diameter;-   Flower bud color one day prior to opening: Exposed petals nearest    RHS NN155D, sepal base nearest RHS 179B with the distal one-half    between RHS 174D and RHS 194A;-   Pedicel: Cylindrical; glaucous; lustrous; to about 15 mm long and 2    mm diameter;-   Pedicel color: Variable; nearest RHS 146C with a blush of nearest    RHS 179B to between RHS 180B and RHS 179B;-   Petals: Typically, five in a single whorl, rarely six; obovate;    rounded apex; attenuate to cuneate base; margin entire; glabrous    adaxial abaxial; imbricate near longitudinal middle; to about 21 mm    long and 15 mm wide near middle; base tapering to about 2 mm across;-   Petal color: Variable; when initially open adaxial and abaxial    nearest RHS NN155D developing strong adaxial blush between RHS N57C    to RHS 61C concentrated near longitudinal center with a thin margin,    to marginal blush of nearest RHS 64B;-   Androecium: Typically, ten, rarely twelve; about 12 mm long;    -   -   Filament.—Cylindrical; lustrous; glabrous; to about 11 mm            long and 1 mm diameter; color initially translucent to            nearest RHS NN155A, maturing to nearest RHS 180B distally            and RHS NN155A proximally.        -   Anther.—Ellipsoidal; basifixed; longitudinal; about 2 mm            long and 1 mm across; color nearest RHS 161A.        -   Pollen.—Abundant; color nearest RHS 18B.-   Gynoecium: Bifid to rarely trifid; about 14 mm long, fused in basal    3 mm;    -   -   Ovary.—Partly inferior; 6 mm across at base and 3 mm tall;            color initially nearest RHS 145C maturing to nearest RHS            145B.        -   Style.—Cylindrical; about 8 mm long and 4.5 mm diameter            above ovary; color initially nearest RHS 145C maturing to            nearest 146D with distal portion nearest RHS 60A.        -   Stigma.—Loosely lobed; about 4 mm wide and 2 mm tall; color            initially nearest RHS N144C, at flower maturity between RHS            183C and RHS 183B.-   Seed: Ellipsoidal; acute apex and rounded base; surface glabrous;    about 2 mm long and 0.5 mm across center; color nearest RHS 200B;-   Growth: Bergenia ‘Peppermint Patty’ is tolerant of winter    temperatures from USDA hardiness at least from zones 4 to 8. The new    plant grows best with good drainage and adequate moisture.-   Pests and diseases: The new plant is not known to be more or less    susceptible or tolerant of diseases and pests that are common to    other Heartleaf Bergenia cultivars.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Bergenia plant named‘Peppermint Patty’ as described and illustrated.